Powys council leader David Jones today lost a vote of no confidence amid political turmoil in the authority over a £20m savings plan.

Mr Jones was forced to quit the post he has held for 19 months in a vote that ended up 40 against and32 for.

After two rounds of votes Barry Thomas of the Non Political Group was voted in as the new leader. He started his role by dismissing the current Cabinet promising a new cabinet to be voted in by next Wednesday.

He had been up against Myfanwy Alexander of the Independent Group and Tony Thomas, group leader of the Powys Independent Alliance.

Councillor Alexander lost out in the first round and Tony Thomas in the second.

Like many councils in Wales, Powys is facing huge budget cuts and must save £40m over the course of the next three years.

Plans to make the savings include a proposed council tax increase, a wave of service cuts and replacing some staff with automated services.

A motion of no confidence was issued against Mr Jones by members of a rebel faction, led by councillors Graham Brown and Myfanwy Alexander, who broke away from his group of ruling independents.

The rebels, who have set up a new Independent Group, claim Mr Jones no longer has a mandate to lead the council.

If the motion is passed today at an extraordinary meeting of the council, candidates seeking to take over as leader will be given five minutes each to make their cases to fellow councillors.

The no confidence motion was proposed after Mr Jones sacked three cabinet members who opposed a plan for a new ruling coalition of independents.